The United States deported 10 alleged gang members to El Salvador just ahead of a high-profile White House meeting between President Trump and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, raising questions about deportation practices and bilateral cooperation.
At a Glance
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the deportation of 10 alleged gang members to El Salvador on Sunday
- The deportation occurred one day before El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele’s scheduled visit to the White House
- The Trump administration is using a Salvadoran prison facility (CECOT) to hold migrants deported from the US
- Evidence used to label deportees as gang members has been questioned, often based on tattoos or clothing rather than criminal convictions
- The administration is currently defying a federal judge’s order to return a wrongfully deported Maryland resident to the US
Deportation Ahead of Presidential Meeting
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Sunday that the United States had deported 10 more alleged gang members to El Salvador. The deportation took place just one day before El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele was scheduled to meet with President Trump at the White House. According to Rubio’s statement, the deported individuals were claimed to be members of MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, both designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the Trump administration. The timing of this action appears strategic as it reinforces the administration’s hardline stance on immigration enforcement ahead of the high-level bilateral discussions.
“Last night, another 10 criminals from the MS-13 and Tren de Aragua Foreign Terrorist Organizations arrived in El Salvador,” Rubio said in an X/Twitter post.
Today, the first 238 members of the Venezuelan criminal organization, Tren de Aragua, arrived in our country. They were immediately transferred to CECOT, the Terrorism Confinement Center, for a period of one year (renewable).
The United States will pay a very low fee for them,… pic.twitter.com/tfsi8cgpD6
— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) March 16, 2025
Strategic Partnership with El Salvador
The Trump administration has established a working relationship with President Bukele, who has been described by some as the “coolest dictator” due to his controversial but effective crime-fighting approach in El Salvador. This partnership centers around using a Salvadoran prison facility known as CECOT to hold migrants deported from the United States. The arrangement bypasses normal immigration processes and has become a cornerstone of the administration’s deportation strategy, particularly for individuals alleged to be gang members. President Trump has publicly praised Bukele for accepting deported individuals and expressed anticipation for their meeting at the White House.
“The alliance between Donald Trump and El Salvador president Nayib Bukele has become an example for security and prosperity in our hemisphere,” Rubio added.
The administration has invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to justify these deportations, claiming wartime authority to remove individuals they identify as gang members. However, critics point out that hundreds of Venezuelans have been deported to El Salvador under this act, raising concerns about the legal basis for these actions. Several legal challenges have been filed against these deportations, with advocates arguing that many detainees were not given proper opportunity to contest their deportation orders before being removed from the country.
— The Washington Stand (@WSHStand) March 18, 2025
Controversial Deportation Practices
The administration’s deportation practices have come under scrutiny, particularly regarding the evidence used to identify alleged gang members. Reports indicate that determinations are often based on tattoos or clothing associated with criminal organizations rather than actual criminal convictions.
This has led to accusations that individuals are being labeled as gang members without sufficient proof. In a troubling development, the administration is currently resisting a federal judge’s order to return Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, who was unlawfully deported to El Salvador despite having protection from deportation due to potential violence or torture in his home country.
While the administration has acknowledged an “administrative error” in Garcia’s case, it has not returned him to the United States. The Justice Department argues that only the president has the authority to handle U.S. foreign policy, challenging the court’s jurisdiction in this matter.
The Supreme Court has ruled that the government must provide adequate notice to detainees to contest deportations, but did not address how those already deported could seek judicial review. This legal standoff highlights the tensions between executive immigration enforcement actions and judicial oversight.
